Mike Rudd
Encyclopedia
Mike Rudd is a New Zealand
born musician and composer who has been based in Australia
since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock
bands Spectrum
and Ariel
in the 1970s.
Rudd's first major group in New Zealand was the Chants R&B
. The group came to Australia and settled in Melbourne
in 1966 but broke up soon afterwards. Rudd then joined The Party Machine led by Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford
, who are best known in Australia for the group they formed subsequently, Daddy Cool
.
After Party Machine split up in late 1969, Rudd formed his own band, Spectrum, one of Australia's first progressive rock groups. This also marked the beginning of his long association with bassist Bill Putt. Spectrum released four LPs and several 7" singles, including their national #1 hit single "I'll Be Gone", which has remained one of the best-known songs of the period, and the first Australian rock double album
, Milesago. The group also worked under the pseudonym Indelible Murtceps
and recorded one LP under that name.
After Spectrum split in April 1973, Rudd and Putt formed a new group, Ariel
. Along with keyboard player John Mills they joined forces with two leading Sydney
musicians, guitarist Tim Gaze
and drummer Nigel Macara from pioneering progressive band Tamam Shud. They released one successful LP, A Strange Fantastic Dream, in December 1973, but Gaze and Macara left the band soon after it was recorded.
In early 1974 Rudd and Putt began work on an extended concept piece, The Jellabad Mutant, and began rehearsing the music with drummer John Lee, ex-The Dingoes
. Lee then brought in a friend, lead guitarist Harvey James
, and this arrangement eventually coalesced into the second lineup of Ariel. They recorded a full-length demo tape of the planned LP, called The Jellabad Mutant, and presented it to their record label EMI
, but to their surprise it was rejected.
However, by this time the band had gained some critical praise in the United Kingdom
, thanks in part to leading disc jockey
John Peel
, and this led EMI's parent office in London to invite the group to record their next album at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios
. However the rejection of the Mutant album left the band with no new material, and when they arrived in London they discovered that EMI were expecting the lineup that had recorded the first LP. Rudd hastily wrote a number of new songs, but to complete the LP they were forced to fall back on Rudd's back-catalogue, recording new versions of several Spectrum/Murtceps songs. The resulting album, Rock'n'Roll Scars, was mixed by famous EMI recording engineer Geoff Emerick
, who had worked with The Beatles
.
In January 1975 Ariel was expanded to a five-piece with the addition of respected New Zealand singer-songwriter-guitarist Glyn Mason. This lineup recorded only one single and lasted until early 1976. Lead guitarist Harvey James left to join chart-topping Australian pop band Sherbet
in March (he was replaced by keyboardist Tony Slavich) and drummer John Lee quit to join English band Dirty Tricks during Ariel's second visit to the UK in April. He was briefly replaced by Nigel Macara, who quit again in October 1976 to be replaced by Iain McLennan.
Ariel continued to record and perform until July 1977, when they announced their break-up; they performed their farewell concert at the Dallas Brooks Hall in Melbourne
on 31 August 1977; the show was recorded and later released on two LP's: Aloha; then Ariel Live!!-More From Before.
After Ariel, Mike Rudd moved into promotion and production for a time. He produced the debut album for Newcastle bands Daniel and Jab and demos for Jane Conway (ex-Melbourne band Stiletto).
Rudd and Putt later formed a succession of groups, in the 1980s—Mike Rudd's Instant Replay, Mike Rudd & The Heaters (both also with Tony Slavich) and the more electronically oriented W.H.Y. -- but none achieved the same level of success as Spectrum or Ariel.
Although Rudd was forced to withdraw from performing for several years due to the illness and subsequent death of his wife Helen, Mike and Bill have sustained an enduring musical partnership, including reunions of Spectrum during the '80s, and a duo album in 1996, Living On A Volcano. A new 3-piece incarnation of Spectrum, with drummer Peter Robertson, debuted in the late 1990s with a CD Spectrum Plays The Blues, which took them back to their musical roots. Ariel also reformed for occasional gigs with varying lineups, including a final reunion of the 'Mark II' lineup with Harvey James and John Lee, which took place not long before Lee's untimely death in July 1998.
Rudd, Putt and Robertson continue to perform and record as Spectrum, with occasional help from keyboardist Daryl Roberts.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
born musician and composer who has been based in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
since the late 1960s, and who is best known as the leader of respected Australian progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
bands Spectrum
Spectrum (band)
Spectrum is an Australian progressive rock band that formed in Melbourne in 1969 and, in its original period, remained in existence until 1973. Its members also performed under the alter-ego Indelible Murtceps...
and Ariel
Ariel (band)
Ariel was an Australian progressive rock band based around the duo Mike Rudd and Bill Putt, who formed the band in 1973 after the breakup of their previous group Spectrum . The original Ariel line-up was Rudd , Putt , Tim Gaze , Nigel Macara and John Mills...
in the 1970s.
Rudd's first major group in New Zealand was the Chants R&B
Chants R&B
Chants R&B were a rhythm and blues band from Christchurch, New Zealand, and are considered one best examples of garage rhythm and blues from Australasia during the 1960s. They won the Battle Of The Bands contest at Addington Showgrounds in 1964...
. The group came to Australia and settled in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1966 but broke up soon afterwards. Rudd then joined The Party Machine led by Ross Wilson and Ross Hannaford
Ross Hannaford
Ross Andrew Hannaford is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the...
, who are best known in Australia for the group they formed subsequently, Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
.
After Party Machine split up in late 1969, Rudd formed his own band, Spectrum, one of Australia's first progressive rock groups. This also marked the beginning of his long association with bassist Bill Putt. Spectrum released four LPs and several 7" singles, including their national #1 hit single "I'll Be Gone", which has remained one of the best-known songs of the period, and the first Australian rock double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, Milesago. The group also worked under the pseudonym Indelible Murtceps
Indelible Murtceps
Indelible Murtceps was the alter-ego of 1970s Australian progressive rock band Spectrum. The name 'murtceps' is 'spectrum' spelled backwards. The Melbourne-based group developed an extensive repertiore of original experimental progressive rock music, intended for performance in a serious concert...
and recorded one LP under that name.
After Spectrum split in April 1973, Rudd and Putt formed a new group, Ariel
Ariel (band)
Ariel was an Australian progressive rock band based around the duo Mike Rudd and Bill Putt, who formed the band in 1973 after the breakup of their previous group Spectrum . The original Ariel line-up was Rudd , Putt , Tim Gaze , Nigel Macara and John Mills...
. Along with keyboard player John Mills they joined forces with two leading Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
musicians, guitarist Tim Gaze
Tim Gaze
Tim Gaze is an Australian rock and blues guitarist, songwriter, singer and producer. He was a member of several prominent Australian groups of the 1960s and 1970s including Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute, Ariel and Rose Tattoo.-Biography:...
and drummer Nigel Macara from pioneering progressive band Tamam Shud. They released one successful LP, A Strange Fantastic Dream, in December 1973, but Gaze and Macara left the band soon after it was recorded.
In early 1974 Rudd and Putt began work on an extended concept piece, The Jellabad Mutant, and began rehearsing the music with drummer John Lee, ex-The Dingoes
The Dingoes
The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band initially active from 1973 to 1979, formed in Melbourne they relocated to the United States from 1976. Most stable line-up was John Bois on bass guitar, John Lee on drums, Broderick Smith on vocals and harmonica, Chris Stockley on guitar and Kerryn...
. Lee then brought in a friend, lead guitarist Harvey James
Harvey James
Harvey William James was an Australian rock guitarist. He was a member of the bands Mississippi, Ariel, Sherbet and The Party Boys...
, and this arrangement eventually coalesced into the second lineup of Ariel. They recorded a full-length demo tape of the planned LP, called The Jellabad Mutant, and presented it to their record label EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, but to their surprise it was rejected.
However, by this time the band had gained some critical praise in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, thanks in part to leading disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, and this led EMI's parent office in London to invite the group to record their next album at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
. However the rejection of the Mutant album left the band with no new material, and when they arrived in London they discovered that EMI were expecting the lineup that had recorded the first LP. Rudd hastily wrote a number of new songs, but to complete the LP they were forced to fall back on Rudd's back-catalogue, recording new versions of several Spectrum/Murtceps songs. The resulting album, Rock'n'Roll Scars, was mixed by famous EMI recording engineer Geoff Emerick
Geoff Emerick
Geoffrey Emerick is an English recording studio audio engineer, who is best known for his work with The Beatles' albums Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road...
, who had worked with The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
In January 1975 Ariel was expanded to a five-piece with the addition of respected New Zealand singer-songwriter-guitarist Glyn Mason. This lineup recorded only one single and lasted until early 1976. Lead guitarist Harvey James left to join chart-topping Australian pop band Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
in March (he was replaced by keyboardist Tony Slavich) and drummer John Lee quit to join English band Dirty Tricks during Ariel's second visit to the UK in April. He was briefly replaced by Nigel Macara, who quit again in October 1976 to be replaced by Iain McLennan.
Ariel continued to record and perform until July 1977, when they announced their break-up; they performed their farewell concert at the Dallas Brooks Hall in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 31 August 1977; the show was recorded and later released on two LP's: Aloha; then Ariel Live!!-More From Before.
After Ariel, Mike Rudd moved into promotion and production for a time. He produced the debut album for Newcastle bands Daniel and Jab and demos for Jane Conway (ex-Melbourne band Stiletto).
Rudd and Putt later formed a succession of groups, in the 1980s—Mike Rudd's Instant Replay, Mike Rudd & The Heaters (both also with Tony Slavich) and the more electronically oriented W.H.Y. -- but none achieved the same level of success as Spectrum or Ariel.
Although Rudd was forced to withdraw from performing for several years due to the illness and subsequent death of his wife Helen, Mike and Bill have sustained an enduring musical partnership, including reunions of Spectrum during the '80s, and a duo album in 1996, Living On A Volcano. A new 3-piece incarnation of Spectrum, with drummer Peter Robertson, debuted in the late 1990s with a CD Spectrum Plays The Blues, which took them back to their musical roots. Ariel also reformed for occasional gigs with varying lineups, including a final reunion of the 'Mark II' lineup with Harvey James and John Lee, which took place not long before Lee's untimely death in July 1998.
Rudd, Putt and Robertson continue to perform and record as Spectrum, with occasional help from keyboardist Daryl Roberts.
External links
- http://www.mikeruddbillputt.com
- http://www.milesago.com/Artists/ArtistFrames.htm Milesago website, contains link to Spectrum biography page.
- Spectrum - Mike Rudd and Bill Putt's story and music